It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more uncertain of success, nor more dangerous to manage than the creation of a new order of things.
The initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institutions and merely lukewarm defenders in those who would gain by the new ones.
-- Machiavelli, The Prince (1513)
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This quote from The Prince, the famous book by the 16th century political scientist, Niccolo Machiavelli, has stood the test of time. His ideas
aren't to everyone's taste, but he knew a thing or two about cultural and structural change. It may seem strange to see him quoted in a marine industry publication,
but his message is timely and useful in thinking about the forces at play in our industry.
For years, change in the marine industry could best be described as a process of evolution. Changes came in increments and focused primarily on
"doing what we've always done, but doing it better." Today though, rapidly changing consumer preferences and demographics, globalization, and political and economic
influences are changing the landscape. The marine industry is now poised to experience change through revolution.
One of the most obvious changes in our industry is the consolidation which is occurring both in distribution and manufacturing. And not all of this consolidation is understood or embraced. To some, it looks like a few with "deep pockets" are trying to dominate the market; to others it's the beginning of an impersonalization of an industry based on relationships. |
Quite frankly, I can appreciate those viewpoints, but in most cases they are more conjecture than reality. The bottom line is that
the boating industry has not been experiencing growth for several years. The quality of product and distribution has not kept pace with increased consumer expections,
and an increasing number of activities now compete for consumer discretionary income.
Whether we like it or not, the marine industry is ripe for change. In fact, its very future depends on it. Consumers are used to buying products
that are faultless and supported by peerless after-sales service. For years, the automotive industry lost customer focus, but the strides it has made in the quality
of product and after-sale service is a vivid example of how industries can survive dramatic change. Of course, in that industry there have been winners and losers -- that's bound to happen when change unfolds.
Let's be more specific. Over the past several years, Brunswick has been developing an extensive portfolio of leading boat brands. To many in the industry an "elephant" is emerging.
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